Chapter 328: Chapter 328
Aaron appeared in a grassy field as he exited the portal from the tunnel. There were endless grasslands, and even a river running through the lands. There are trees in the picture, here and there, providing shade everywhere they are present.
He could even hear the chirping from the birds that were lying on the tree branches. He can see butterflies flying everywhere, making the scenery look like a paradise.
"Wow", he gasped in surprise when he saw the scenery.
Surprise and shock in awe would be the only reactions of anyone who appears in a paradise like that.
Aaron quickly pulled himself together and summoned his undead. One thing that he learned, or was taught in the academy, was that you never underestimate anyone or any situation you are in.
If the place appears too peaceful, there is a high possibility that something is amiss with that location. Most likely an illusion created to lure unsuspecting beings to their demise. If one were not careful, one wouldn’t know how one died in the first place.
Aaron has heard about many such incidents as examples from the professors when they taught classes in his first year.
So, it would be stupid of him to learn the things that can save him but not follow them.
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Once his undead were summoned, Aaron started moving, but didn’t let his guard down at all. He kept his perception on alert to ensure that he wouldn’t miss anything that could potentially harm him.
He may have summoned a guard wall around him, but there is no guarantee that it would be effective.
They may take a visible threat, but what about invisible ones? They wouldn’t even be able to perceive them.
The undead are not good at perceiving attacks. Only the Lich Mages could perceive attacks that normal undead can’t.
It was something he learned through constantly battling higher-level monsters. If they had fought lower-level ones, there would have been no need for showing their true power; they could easily overwhelm them with numbers, and the battle would be over quickly, but there would be no actual growth.
It was why, in some battles, Aaron would purposely reduce the number of undead that would attack a monster.
Dungeon diving is not just about levelling up faster or ranking up. No, it was about growing one’s battle experience. Only then can one truly develop into a fine powerhouse; otherwise, they would have many flaws.
It was the reason why Mary, who had been growing as fast as Aaron, suddenly slowed down. She might not have had a talent like Aaron’s, which helped him grow quickly, but she had access to many resources, one of which was called the Experience Potion.
Experience Potion doesn’t grant one experience; instead, for a short time, it boosts EXP gain. The time and the boost depend on the grade of the potion.
It was a limited and restricted version of Aaron’s talent.
People believe that their talents are their greatest assets, and they are right to a point. However, people have seen many things and thought of acquiring those things they saw.
Some talents increase one’s skill power or reduce the cost of Mana when skills are cast. Some talents increase Agility or some other attribute.
These types of talents are something that anyone would crave to possess, and there are many.
No one can get so many talents, no matter what. So, people tried to create them artificially, and through potions, they were able to replicate the effects of those talents, but they were restricted and had some side effects.
The Experience Potion was one such creation, but these types of potions are not commonly available. They are rare in quantity and were also very costly. So, only some rich and powerful people knew about them, as they were the only ones who could afford them easily.
Even though a few more awakeners might afford them, they were not made public due to their scarcity. The rich and powerful didn’t just think about themselves but also their progeny.
Even if they were strong, their descendants might not be so. They may not be strong enough to improve their levels. So, as long as potions like these were used, it would become easier for the descendants to reach a bare minimum rank where they wouldn’t be squashed like a fly by everyone.
So resources like that are kept secret, or else the cost of them would rise significantly, which is not good for anyone.
There are a few people who might even demand that they be given to all awakeners for free and may rise against the alliance. Those who wouldn’t be able to get their hands on such resources might even turn against the Alliance and join the Cult.
It was why resources like these are kept secret. No one would ever be able to utter a word about them unless the Alliance finds a way to increase their quantity.
Some resources are considered rare, but these are super rare. Wealth alone isn’t enough to buy them. They need merits and influence to gain access to them.
Of course, by the time they get those things, these resources would most likely turn into a moot point as the EXP potion won’t work on Rank-7 and above. No matter what they did, some of these boosting potions would stop working after they crossed Rank-7.
Aaron, who has never experienced such artificial boosts, had only an EXP boost from his talent, but long ago he recognised that gaining levels and ranks are not everything.
It was when he discovered that skill ranks don’t stop at Rank 9, as everyone had believed.
He knew that the Alliance was keeping many secrets from ordinary people. He was not stupid enough to think that no one in the Alliance had reached such a rank. He has a few doubts, but he leaned towards them, knowing and keeping it a secret.
It was confirmed when he received the notifications about the world’s upgrade and the rewards he received at later ranks of the skills.
He didn’t blame the Alliance for keeping such a thing a secret. He knew from personal experience that sometimes keeping a secret is more important, which can ultimately save lives.
So, instead, he slowed down a bit. Well, he didn’t exactly slow down, but made sure that the enemies fell not by overwhelming them in numbers. He always divided them into bare minimum, where he won’t waste any skeletons and also not to cross a line where the matches would end swiftly.
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"What is this?" Aaron muttered as he reached a disfigured idol.